The following letters were written by David Crockett Joyce (1822-1895) of Co. F, 1st Confederate Engineer Troops. David enlisted in September 1863 in Rockingham county, North Carolina. He was initially an artificer in the Courtney Artillery (“Henrico Artillery”) and by the spring of 1864 was in the Confederate Engineers. He was still with the Engineers at the time he was paroled at Appomattox in April 1865.

The 1st Engineers Regiment was organized at Richmond, Virginia, during the fall of 1863 with men from North Carolina and Virginia. In December about 250 of these men were repairing roads in the Richmond area. Later the unit served as prison guards, then repaired railroads and bridges. During the winter of 1864 – 1865 it built Bevill’s Bridge over the Appomattox River about twenty-five miles above Petersburg and sent a pontoon bridge to the Richmond and Danville Railroad Crossing of the Staunton River. In preparation for the spring campaign, it readied another pontoon bridge for use at the site of the roads from Richmond and Petersburg to the several crossings ot the Appomattox. The unit last 2 men killed and 28 wounded during the war, and when the 

David wrote the letters to his wife, Harriet (Martin) Joyce (1831-1915) of Ayersville, Rockingham county, North Carolina. The couple had at least ten children, some of who are mentioned in these letters.

Letter 1

March 6, 1864

Dear wife,

I seat myself this Sabbath morning to answer your kind letter which come to hand last night. I got three letters from you which was the first word I have heard from you since I saw you at home or harvest. You don’t know how glad I was to hear them say, “A letter for David Joyce.” But oh! how sorry I was when I saw the black [border] although I was a look[ing] for such any moment. Oh my dear and great mother. I hope she is gone to that great and blessed sweet home where we will all meet again. So farewell, my dear mother, forever until we meet in Heaven.

Harriet, this leaves me & John Ree well. I think I have fatten[ed] about fifteen pounds since I saw you. Harriet, I feel first rate today in the way of health, thank God. I hope this will find you & my sweet little children all well. Harriet, you wrote to me about buying something over there. I can’t tell you what to do. If there is anything old that you want, do as you like about it. That is the way I do. If I was up there I could  tell you something a what to do, so do as you can.

Harriet, I would have [  ] now to you than I have but I have been waiting for Ree & Joe to come home. But they ain’t got off yet. I reckon they will come next week if nothing happens. They would have come before now but the Yanks made a little raid a few days ago so I think it’s over for awhile. The General had us all out the other day to stand picket for to catch the Rebels but I didn’t see nery one. They have been fighting a little about Richmond, I understand, but no damage done. I understand they have had a brush down near Washington. Our men [have] taken and killed about five hundred and got about the same amount of stock and killed one general but I forgot his name.

Harriet I see some pieces in the papers that make me just [feel] like fighting forever. Harriet, I don’t think you feel like fighting but I hope I will fight enough for me and you too. I want you to send me word if they have catched any of them bushwhackers and tell Sam I want him to catch the last damn one of them if he can. Tell him if he wants help, get some for [   ] Douglas and David Joyce. 

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Letter 2

Henrico county Camp near Richmond, Va.

June 13, 1864

Dear Wife,

I seat myself this morning to answer your kind letter which came to hand last night but Harriet, you do not know how glad I was when they said, “A letter for D. Joyce.” Oh, it done me good to the heart to hear you all was as well as you was. Harriet, I am not so well yet but I am a heap better than I have been for the last week. If I had anything that I could eat, I think I would soon get well, but we have not had anything to eat but some rotten meat and rotten meal for five days, We sent our meat back today to Richmond to sell it if we could. We draw again today but I don’t know what sort we will get. But I told them if they didn’t get no better than they did, they need not fetch me any for I could not eat rotten meat. 

We are here five miles below Richmond on the river with our boats. We come here to practice a lay down of our bridge boats. I don’t know how long we will stay here. Harriet, I wrote Abetha three days ago but I thought I would make up the lost time. I will write a letter every week if I can get the chance for I know how glad it makes me when I hear from you all. Harriet, you must write often as you can. I am glad to hear that you get milk enough for I know how good it is. Harriet, I wish I had some good butter milk. I think I could eat a half gallon if I had it. I ain’t eat a bit since I ate dinner at Henderson as I came on out here. You know that has been some time.

Harriet, I have no good news to write. I hear some cannons a shooting this morning. I hope they will have the big fight in a few days, let it go as it will. I hear that Old Morgan has given them a good whipping in Kentucky and captured a heap of property. We sent fifteen of our men down to the Bluff this morning to guard a bridge and there are a bridge here where we are too. It is two miles below here.

Harriet, I have studied so much about matters that I can’t think what to write. Harriet, I don’t sleep none atall hardly. Some nights I sit up after everyone is gone to bed a thinking so much about you all that there is no sleep in me atall and I get up the first one every morning for my bones ache so bad that I can’t lay [any longer]. There is nobody knows the trouble that I see about you and my poor little children but I hope to see you all again before long.

Harriet, if your hog is with pig, had better put it in the pasture with the cows before she pigs. And tell Sam to be sure and have the [    ] like he told me he would. Harriet, there is a heap of sickness here in our company. There ain’t much more than half of our men that is fit for duty. Johnson has been sick for two or three days but is some better this morning. Joseph Richardson is well as common. He is gone down to the boat bridge to stand guard. He has stood it well.

Harriet, I think I weigh 145 pounds. When I left our winter quarters I weighed 150 pounds. Harriet, I will send you a piece of cabamas [?] for the children. There is a patch right here. There is bushels of it here so I will send you a little. Tell little Mary that Pap ain’t got a bit of sugar and I am out of money nearly but I have no use for her money. We can’t buy a thing to eat atall. Harriet, I will send you some money as soon as I draw it.

…Harriet, you said that Dick had been over to settle. Tell him to wait till I come home—that I am the one to settle with and don’t you settle with him atall. And don’t you deal with him no more than you can help…I want you to tell Old Mr. Oakly and Aunt Sock that I send my best respects to them. If they can help you any way about something to eat that they shan’t loose a cent for if I live, I think I will come out of the kinks yet. Tell Mr. Oakly I wish I could see him and have a dram for me and him to drink. Harriet, I got me a good drink of peach brandy the other day in Richmond for two dollars. That is all I have bought since I got back. I ain’t got but two dollars now and I will send Nick and Dog one of them in this letter to encourage them to work. Boys, you must work good and make all you can. Send me word how your crop looks and plant all the taters slips you can get for I want some of them to eat next fall yet. I ain’t forgot you and I never will. When I draw some money, I will got to Richmond and get something that is fine if I can get it. Nick don’t work good…You must tend to the chickens and raise all you can for it is a going to be the hardest time that ever was next year.